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Building bridges

The recent decision of the BRIC countries to ?gradually intensify co-operation beginning with consultations at the ambassadorial level and then moving on to the political level? should be considered as the first major step that the governments of these countries have taken to define their relationships.

The recent decision of the BRIC countries to ?gradually intensify co-operation beginning with consultations at the ambassadorial level and then moving on to the political level? should be considered as the first major step that the governments of these countries have taken to define their relationships.

Ever since the Goldman Sachs report had emphasised the tremendous potential that these four rapidly expanding economies have in shaping the fortunes of the global economy, commentators have been engaged in exploring the changes that could be brought about as a result of the cooperation between the BRIC countries. However, these positive sentiments were not taken as seriously perhaps as they should have been by the political establishment of the countries concerned, until the recent pronouncement.

The decision of the BRIC countries to enhance the level of co-operation could not have been better timed, as would be obvious from the developments involving these countries. For a number of years, these countries have been making efforts to coordinate their functioning in several multilateral fora that have been engaged in the shaping of the post-Cold War political and economic order. These efforts have been strengthened as the countries involved have made major strides in their economic engagement at the bilateral level, which is in keeping with the spirit of the times when enhanced economic integration between nations has become a global phenomenon.

India has been at the forefront in this regard, having embarked on the path to deepen the existing levels of economic co-operation between the other members of the new ?Quad?. Besides, adding new dimensions to the historically strong links with Moscow, India has opened new vistas of closer economic integration with both Beijing and Brasilia.

It may be argued that the positive energies that the bilateral processes have generated need to be synergised at the multilateral level. The implications of so doing would not merely pay dividends for the collective cause, but other similarly placed countries as well. That this is in the realm of the possible has been amply demonstrated by Brazil, China and India in at least two multilateral fora that are witnessing negotiations in areas that have enormous implications for the global community in general, and the developing countries in particular.

In the first place, Brazil, India and China have been trying to redefine the contours of global environmental governance. The negotiations on climate change, the outcomes of which could have far-reaching implications for the future growth prospects of the developing countries?the triad has been arguing that the responsibility to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions lie squarely at the door of the large consumers of fossil fuels in the industrialised world.

These countries have maintained that any framework that is adopted for reducing greenhouse gas emissions must take into account the role played by the industrialised countries in creating the climate catastrophe in the first place. Meanwhile, these countries are insisting that the industrialised world must take the primary responsibility for mitigating the crisis.

The proposed cooperation between the BRIC countries could help Brazil, China and India to coordinate their positions with those of Russia. This is imperative given that Russia could play a key role in the climate change negotiations for it has considerable stake in the issues involved. One, the country is one of the major suppliers of fossil fuels, also, it has to be mindful of the fact that its development imperatives in the post-Soviet era are more in tune with those of the developing countries. In another environmental forum, one that is negotiating the framework for ensuring that the world?s genetic resources are used in a sustainable manner, Brazil, China and India have flagged the concerns of the developing countries that are the repositories of the world?s genetic wealth. Here again, the triad has been reminding the industrialised world, which is the major user of genetic resources, that it must share the benefits arising from the commercial exploitation of these resources. These countries have pointed out that a regime that regulates access to the genetic resources needs to be put in place to ensure that these resources are used in a sustainable manner by the commercial entities, including the thriving biotech industry.

Perhaps, the most publicised co-operation between Brazil, China and India in the multilateral arena has been their efforts in the multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Members of the WTO are currently engaged in the negotiations, popularly known as the Doha Round, which is mandated to review most of the important covered agreements under WTO.

The negotiations, among other things, are expected to reflect on the development needs of the developing countries that would enable them to make the most of the rules-based trading system. For most part of the Doha Round, which commenced in 2002, Brazil, China and India have been coordinating their efforts and these efforts could get a fillip once Russia is admitted as a full member of the WTO.

The author is professor and head, Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

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First published on: 24-10-2007 at 00:00 IST
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